Confused Kaymer to seek Langer’s aid

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The best course in the US has never suited the highest ranked golfer in the world – and nothing has changed.

The best course in the US has never suited the highest ranked golfer in the world – and nothing has changed.

The highly talented Mark Kaymer is not likely to make his 4th straight Masters cut after a miserable first day at magnificent Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday when he posted an awful 6-over 78.

Kaymer likes to play his golf shots from left to right, but after getting so close to winning the WGC Accenture Match Play, he decided to change his shot shape to a draw for Augusta.

“I was trying,” he said politely when asked if he had used his draw shot strategy, “but didn’t really work out.”

The first day at Augusta was a disaster – and it was clearly reflected in his body language after Thursday round when the defeated young German said: “For me it was very difficult. Every day that I’ve played here has been a tough day so far.”

“My putting was okay, I think my short game was definitely better than the last three, four, years, but I just didn’t hit the ball as good as I did the last two or three years.”

Part of Kaymer’s problem with Augusta is that it has never suited his eye, he has no idea of how best to play it and will have no game plan to stage a fight back on Friday.

“There’s not really a game plan. I think that I don’t really know how to play the golf course. I can think about it for another hour or hour and a half or two hours, and I just can’t really find a solution,” he said dejectedly.

Clearly aware he is almost certain to miss the cut, Kaymer added: “I think that maybe I’ve got to sit down with Bernhard Langer later and ask him how to do it. As you know, he won here twice and I think I can only get good advice from him.”

The German winner of last year’s US PGA Championship is simply too talented not to be able to fare well on any course where professional golf is played, but then again, the great Arnold Palmer never won the PGA.

“I need to try something different again. I don’t know what I have to do here. Maybe one day it will work out.”

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